Safest Contraception Options: Combined Shots

How These Contraception Options Work

Combined injectable contraceptive, also known as CIC, birth control shot, or combined shot, is one of the safest contraception options. Combined injectable contraceptive means that a woman is given intramuscular injections in every four weeks or every three months. The injection contains progestin and synthetic estrogen. These hormones prevent the egg from leaving the ovaries (it prevents the process called ovulation). Combined injectable contraceptive also makes cervical mucus thicker, this way, the sperm is unable to reach the egg. CIC also makes the lining of the womb thinner. CIC works like combined oral contraceptives, however, it is their safer version, since CIC has a lower failure rate. CIC has another advantage over birth control pills: you do not have to take a pill every day, so there is no risk of forgetting it. Those who take birth control pills may forget to take a pill, which makes the method less effective. Ideally, you have to take a pill at the same time every day, even a couple of hours of difference can make these types of contraceptives less effective.

Types of Contraceptives: Availability

CIC is injected by a health care provider. It is injected in the muscles of the upper arm, buttocks, or thigh.

Cyclofem, Novafem, Mesigyna, Lunelle and Cyclo-Provera are combined injectable contraceptive brands. These types of contraceptives appeared in the United States in the early 2000’s, but they are not available anymore. They are still available in several countries of the world. These days, depot medroxyprogesterone acetate, also called DMPA or Depo-Provera, is the only combined injectable contraceptive that is available in the United States. You can get a shot once every three months.

When you get a combined shot, it elevates your hormone levels, which will slowly decrease during the following weeks. After three months (or one months, depending on the types of contraceptives), you are supposed to get another shot. Do not wait longer than 3 months (or one month, 33 days at most), because any delay has a negative impact on the effectiveness of the method.

Effectiveness of Contraception Options

Getting injections is a safe and discreet way to avoid pregnancy. There is no way to tell that you use such contraception options, so you can keep it secret if you want to.

CIC has a very low failure rate, only 0.2 %, which means that out of 500 women who use combined injectable contraceptives as a birth control method, only 1 gets pregnant. The failure rate might be higher if the woman waits longer than 3 months (or one month) between two injections.

CIC is a convenient way of birth control, since it is a long-acting contraception, it does not require lots of effort and time, and it has no unpleasant side-effects. Some other contraception options intervene with menstrual bleeding, they may cause pain, intense bleeding, or irregular cycles. 

On the other hand, these types of contraceptives can provide good cycle control. CIC may make your period easier and more predictable: you may experience lighter bleeding or less days of bleeding. Since menstrual bleeding is very unpleasant and leaves women tired and angry, many women are happy that CIC can reduce the days of menstruation or the intensity of bleeding. CIC may cause slight changes in your period, but these symptoms are minor and they stop within a few weeks, or, at least, when you quit taking injection. Combined injectable contraceptives do not cause a decline in your libido.

Once you stop taking the injection, you still will not get pregnant for about a month until the effect wears out. After 4 to 6 weeks, you will have your chance to get pregnant.

Safety

CIC is one of the contraception options that are safe for women who live with AIDS and use antiretroviral medicines. However, CIC does not offer any protection from sexually transmitted diseases. If you use such types of contraceptives, make sure that you use other forms of protection, for instance, condom.

You should not use combined injectable contraceptives when you are breastfeeding a child who is younger than 6 months. If you smoke and you are over 35, you should not choose such contraception options: just like oral contraceptives, CIC can contribute to cardiovascular diseases and blood clotting. If you have high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, or some types of cancer, or you are prone to blood clotting, then this method is not safe for you. Neither should you use combined injectable contraceptives if you have migraine. If you have diabetes, you live with depression, you are allergic to hormones, or you have any kind of liver disease, you should not get combined shots.

The side-effects of combined shots are minor. They may include headache, breast pain, weight gain, irregular bleeding, weakness and nausea. It may affect sexual health and cause sexual dysfunction.

CIC may cause a loss of bone density if you are using this method for more than two years in a row.

Before you decide to use CIC, you should consult with your gynecologist. Inform your doctor about any medication you take and any health issue you may have.

Six Common Negative Effects of Medicine Used to Cure Erectile Dysfunction

Alternatively called impotence, ED happens when nerves in the penis region cannot stimulate the flow of blood to come up for a hard erection. Erectile dysfunction medications may have the ability to assist the state, although this can be a familiar event that improves with age. The most well known ED medications contain:

·         Cialis (tadalafil)

·         Viagra (sildenafil)

·         Levitra (vardenafil)

Nitric oxide increases to stimulate the flow of blood. While ED meds can be lifesavers, there are a number of common negative effects about these drugs that is well worth to learn before taking one to cure oneself.

1. Head ache

Headaches are the most frequently encountered side effect related to erectile dysfunction medications. Nitric oxide helps increase the flow of blood to the penis to produce a stronger erection, but a head ache can be caused by this abrupt change. It's important to understand that headaches are not unusual with all types of medications cure erectile dysfunction, changing brands will not always relieve such symptoms. In case your headaches are severe, speak with your physician about strategies you may utilize to prevent ED.

2. Body ache

Taking this type of medication can result in body pain, which might be particularly the case when treat impotent problems. Some patients experience muscle pains and general body pains, while lower back pain is reported by others.

3. Gastrointestinal Ailments

Your ED medications also can cause gastrointestinal ailments that are uncomfortable. The most usual are diarrhoea and indigestion. Over-the-counter medicines might help relieve difficulties that are minor, but it's also possible to contemplate making dietary changes to lessen gastrointestinal and upset stomach dilemmas. Drinking water as an alternative to juice, alcohol, and caffeine can help.

4. Dizziness

Dizziness can be caused by a rise in nitric oxide in some guys. Dizziness can nevertheless cause suffering during regular tasks while usually light. In infrequent instances, dizziness can cause fainting, that might develop into a significant health problem. Keep in mind that while dizziness is a typical complication, fainting isn't.

5. Vision problem

With ED drugs, your eyesight can briefly change, and also cause blue vision. The Mayo Clinic reports that eyesight symptoms that are blue are related to people who take Viagra or Levitra. Changes that do not go away, or a whole lack of eyesight, can signify a more serious problem. ED drugs are not recommended if you've got a retinal disorder.

6. Flushing

Flushing causes redness of skin. Flushing can develop in the facial skin, but might propagate to almost any section of the body. Unlike blushing, flushing seems like itchiness. The outward symptoms cannot be as intense as blotchy skin, as well as serious as rashes. As stated by the Mayo Clinic, flushing is common with Viagra and Levitra. The problem may get from bad to worse if you;

·         Eat spicy or hot foods

·         drink alcohol

·         Are expose to temperatures that are warm

Understand Unusual Side Effects

Minor negative effects are not unusual when taking medications for ED. Still, there are some negative effects which aren't as unusual, and can be completely dangerous such as loss of vision, hearing problems, erection lasting too long, etc.

Address serious negative effects with your physician promptly. Erectile dysfunction medications aren't inappropriate for all guys because of the danger drug interactions. Rather, you might consider other treatment alternatives for ED, including vacuum pumps or operation.

Learn About Male Sexual Dysfunction

Male sexual dysfunction is a sensitive subject. Although almost half of the men (48%) suffer from any of them, few can admit. That's because, for the most part, the performance in bed interferes directly with self-esteem. For men, the sexual part is very important. If he had a thousand successful relationships and one occur some sexual problem where he could not maintain hard erection or premature ejaculations, he will always remember this first as compared to its other successful relationships.

Male sexual dysfunction is called erectile dysfunction, or inability to have or maintain an erection, loss of libido and premature ejaculation, and there are many factors that contribute it to occur.

Erectile Dysfunction

For a man to have an erection, it is necessary, first, that it is stimulated. The stimulus begins in the brain and is transmitted to the sexual organ through the nerves. A rather excited, the penis needs a lot of blood to get and stay erect. Therefore, the main physical problems that can interfere with erections are the cardiovascular and diabetes. The first compromises the circulation and hampers the arrival of blood to the penis. The second may impair the nervous system, disrupting the transmission of stimuli to the body, and also interfere with blood circulation. That is why, nowadays, sexual dysfunction, especially erectile represent indicative of other diseases in humans. It is a function that requires a lot of the cardiovascular systems, the factors that are at risk and should be treated are physical inactivity, obesity, smoking, alcohol abuse, and elevated cholesterol and triglycerides. Maxidus treat erectile dysfunction.

Loss of libido

This dysfunction may be related to hormonal changes. After 45 years, men experience a natural decrease in testosterone caused by aging, which causes loss of sexual desire. However, the problem may occur early due to some glandular changes which also affect testosterone level, for example, disturbances in the adrenal glands, which can increase blood pressure and bad cholesterol, stimulate the production of some hormones androgenic and even contribute to the elevation of estrogens (female hormone). Dysfunction is therefore closely linked to the endocrine system.

Premature ejaculation

The time it takes for each man having an ejaculation is very personal and something that is already determined at birth. It's like every person has different capacity to withstand pain. The control of ejaculation is connected to the central nervous system, serving as modulator, sometimes inhibits, either speeding up the process. The problem can be treated with medication.

Other diseases and treatments may also influence the correct functioning of the male sexual system like prostate ailments, the large intestine and rectum cancer, liver disease and thyroid problems.

Furthermore, the psychological factor is decisive. These problems do not always stem from a psychological issue, but every sexual problem triggers a frame such that anxiety can cause psychological problems of major proportions. The patient can even get a good result in the physical treatment for a certain type of dysfunction, but not working its psychological side will never gain the confidence to get medical attention.

According to many sexologists, the worries of everyday life and anxiety can affect the sexual life of both man and woman. Sometimes, the problems and challenges are so immense that the subject starts to release hormones that will increase blood pressure and cardiac work, through the mechanism of arterial vasoconstriction, i.e., contraction of the arteries. This will affect your sex life; especially the quality of erection and from the moment that affects the sexual life, the anxiety takes over, and the guy goes to see himself as powerless to all situations, including sex.

Both dysfunctions; physical as well as psychological origin have treatment and can be cured. The correct procedure is to seek help from a professional who can assess the cause of the problem and nip it in the bud. Treatment can range from controlling blood pressure or diabetes until more specific medication through vasodilators or hormone replacement.